A YOUTH group leader in Chippenham has slammed the actions of mindless vandals after the wires to the lights decorating his church's nativity scene crib were cut.

Paul Bayly, who helps run the youth group at Central Methodist Church, said he couldn't believe his eyes when he noticed that his group's hand-made scene had been targeted the week before Christmas.

"I had set up some lights around the crib to come on in the evenings and they were timed to flash a bit quicker on Christmas Day to mark the birth of baby Jesus but they were stolen," he said. "I was repairing an angel on Thursday (December 14) and the lights were still there and when I went back on Saturday night, the wires had been cut and the battery pack had fallen in the crib.

"I just don't understand why someone would do something like this. Two years ago, someone stole one of the angels and one of the sheep and we only got the angel back because a dog walker who found it saw my Facebook plea. The sheep is still missing."

The nativity scene, which sits near the church on Monkton Hill, features Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, three wise men, two angels, two sheep and a shepherd and was made around four years ago by members of the youth club.

"It is just mindless vandalism," Mr Bayly added. "I'm absolutely gutted if I'm honest with you. Everyone always says how lovely it is when they walk past it and I just can't understand the reason why someone would do such a thing.

"I don't know who might be doing this and I've not reported it to Wiltshire Police, but I want to know why they did it."

Anyone with information about the damaged lights or stolen sheep should contact Central Methodist Church.